Plant Breeding: Anthurium

Plant Breeding: Anthurium
1. Introduction
Anthurium is the genius name of thousand over species. In the Araceae family, it is the largest genus. The genus is native to America, where it is widely spread from the northern Mexico to northern argentine. In this report, it will cover brief information regarding anthurium, the varieties produced and the breeding methods used. It summarizes how to breed an anthurium to what one wants it to be.

2. Information on Anthurium
Anthurium is often growing as epiphytes on other plants. It produces many inflorescence, spadices, supported by bright coloured spathes or bracts, which are carried on long, slender peduncles. The spathes are usually heart-shaped, flat, and tightly wrinkled and shiny. The flowers

In Hawaii, Anthurium andraeanum type cultivars are popular in the interiorscape industry. These cultivars have large flowers and foliage, which results in late flowering as compared to other categories of potted anthuriums. However, some multiply offshoots naturally which grows into a full plant for example, cultivar ‘Kaumana’ (Fig 1.). In addition, some cultivars have inflorescence that remains attractive for a few months, for example, “Tropic Ice” (Fig 1.1), giving the appearance of many flowers at one growing

This method uses a minimal callus and growth regulator and hence, lowering the possibility of recovering abnormal plants caused by somaclonal variation. However, as compared to callus culture, it takes a longer time for one bud to grow into a shoot. Hence, this was least used in the industry.

Axillary bud
5. Conclusion
Due to the popular demand of anthurium in the interiorscape and potted plant industry, many are trying to create different type of varieties to satisfy the demand from one. In conclusion, the breeding method and process are important to the production of anthurium. Some breeding method may take a longer time than the other, which may affect the production period. Hence, choosing of right breeding method is important.

Reference:
2015. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
Kamemoto, Haruyuki, and Adelheid R. Kuehnle. Breeding Of Anthuriums In Hawaii. 1st ed. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
Sta.uwi.edu,. 'Anthurium Research At UWI St. Augustine'. N.p., 2015. Web. 9 Feb.